


Old Tricks for a Young Mind

by Kuraiummei



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Friendship, Gun tricks, Other, Tank born, Team Bonding, Teamwork makes the dream work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-05
Updated: 2017-05-05
Packaged: 2018-10-28 07:40:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10826790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kuraiummei/pseuds/Kuraiummei
Summary: Garrus knows an awful lot of tricks for killing things with guns. Most people are rightfully nervous around him. Grunt just thinks he's the coolest thing since sliced bread.





	Old Tricks for a Young Mind

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a comic strip that I stumbled on over on tumblr: [**HERE**](http://kuraiummei.tumblr.com/post/160327044987/brox-7-%EC%A7%A4%EB%B0%A9%EC%9C%BC%EB%A1%9C-i-know-the-comic-is-about).

(I know the comic is about Shepard’s adorable xenophilia being some sort of oddity, but I just noticed Grunt looking happy as you please behind her, like ‘Heyyy it’s Vakarian. He’s a cool guy. I like him too!’ and then my muse was all HEY I HAVE AN IDEA WHAT IF-)  
  
The last two mercs fell to a bullet through their brains, -the _same_ bullet-, and Garrus shifted out of cover to level a cock-sure smirk at Shepard... except he’d pulled that trick one too many times, and the Commander had nothing more than an amused eye roll to offer for the trick shot.  
  
The sniper chuffed, and turned for the nearest corpse to rifle around for more thermal clips before they moved on. He was just about to lean down and start the less-than-glamorous task of looting for ammo when a meaty fist chock full of clips was thrust into his view. The ex-vigilante turned to see the broad grin of their newest misfit beaming at him like nothing so much as a new recruit at C-Sec excited in that vivacious way that youth lent only to the young and unweary.  
  
The former Detective’s smirk slipped into a reluctant smile. He wasn’t one to let himself care about new people easily, -not anymore-, but the young Krogan’s enthusiasm was... kind of infectious. Grunt cheerfully held out the handful of only-slightly-bloody thermal clips, proclaiming, ‘Do that again!’ with a sparkle in his clear blue eyes.   
  
‘Ha, alright,’ he replied a little sheepishly. If the kid was going to play ammo-spoil the sniper, then he was happy to oblige with a bit of showmanship.  
  
Garrus spent the rest of the op dusting off his mental book of rifleman’s tricks; most of which he hadn’t tried since showing off for his peers in basic. Every crack shot that killed in a clever way earned him a holler of Krogan joy, and morbid though the game was, by the end of it he was having more fun then... well, more fun than he could remember having in a long damn time. Shepard caught his eye during the shuttle ride back to the Normandy, a rare smile for his equally rare good mood.  
  
‘I see someone doesn’t agree with all the naysayers.’ He shrugged, attention focused on getting a rock out of his boot.   
  
‘He’s got a good attitude. That counts for a lot on a mission like this.’ Shepard just nodded sideways in an agreeable tilt of head, and they carried on back to home.  
  
Grunt was tagged more often for ground missions with them after that, and while some were prone to complain about it, not a single word of protest was heard from the resident Turian. When the old-young Krogan initially started to get restless and needed someone to spar with while the ship made a beeline for Tuchanka, he was the first to offer up some of his time.  
  
For as much as the tank-born situation unsettled many of the Cerberus crew members, Garrus Vakarian found he got along with Grunt pretty damn well. While the youngling got better and better at combat as the Omega-4 Relay jump loomed closer, the exuberance for his showmanship and tactical advice never faded.  
  
The discharged Hierarchy sniper, former C-Sec Detective, Spectre candidate dropout, ex-vigilante wasn’t one to let himself care about new people easily... but Grunt was hard not to like. Excitable, and straightforward. Determined, and unafraid.   
  
It made a difference on a mission like theirs.   
        


End file.
